Cruel Garden God

Cruel Garden God
© Surazeus
2024 07 03

When I see you standing by Pool of Eyes 
wearing garland of herbs binding your hair, 
I ask with trembling voice and beating heart 
if you would like to walk strange road of life 
together so we can watch the sunrise 
from the bottom of the sea in our hearts. 

I want to play pipes carved from river reeds 
while you dance slowly with elegant grace 
by the river beneath the apple tree 
where herd of sheep graze on the lush hillslope, 
then lie together under twinkling stars 
to kiss with pleasure in forever now. 

But that pastoral world of paradise 
has vanished lost behind the barbed-wire fence, 
so we but glimpse its glow of timeless peace 
now unreachable as we work all day 
since we drive by on asphalt roads in cars 
driven by piston engines fueled by gas. 

From broad meadows of pens with cows and sheep, 
farms of herbs and wheat, orchards of fruit trees, 
and small towns of workshops on river shores, 
to empires ruled by men with swords and guns 
from pyramids, temples, churches, and banks, 
human systems of control spread and grow. 

We struggle to build paradise in hell 
four hundred million years of spinning change 
since we crawled from oceans up river streams 
to swim in sparkling lakes of mountain vales, 
then rise at dawn of time from Lake of Dreams 
to grasp Fruit of Wisdom from Tree of Life. 

Yet, when I reach my hand up to the sun 
to grasp sweet Fruit of Wisdom from the tree, 
the sleek slithering serpent with golden eyes 
hisses with voice of the wind in my ear 
to tempt me with arrogance of mute fear, 
but I strike its head and claim fruit as mine. 

While my father hesitates to snatch fruit 
my mother twirls wand of wisdom with grace 
to kill the serpent infesting the tree, 
who tries to keep us subservient as slaves, 
so we can eat the sacred fruit of truth 
as we evolve from apes to human beings. 

Rebelling against the cruel garden god, 
first mother breaks down gates of paradise 
and leads us from strict prison of despair, 
so we spread from Eden to colonize 
ten thousand river valleys of the Earth 
with vast cities of bright computer webs.